A City No More
by Eleazar878
Summary: "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." How true is that of cities and peoples, of churches and congregations! God has given each of us gifts, but sometimes we misuse and twist them, until they become tools of destruction. This is one such story, a tale of our folly and its consequences, and His great mercy in spite of it all.


**Author's Note:** The inspiration for this story was the song "City on the Hill" by Casting Crowns. With a powerful message and beautiful story-like lyrics, "City on the Hill" is one of my favorite songs and has greatly influenced the basic premise and themes of this story specifically.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the copyrights to the Bible or Casting Crowns' song.

**A City No More**

_ "A long, long time ago, there was a great city in the land of Aellion. This city was known for its prosperity and beauty, and was the pride of the Acniri people. Traders, sailors, soldiers, healers, bards, dancers, and many others flocked to this shining beacon. And, indeed, it was truly a beacon to the people. For in times of golden peace, it was bustling with eager and awe-filled travelers, many of whom came from distant regions. In times of brutal war, it was overcrowded with desperate and fearful refugees, all of whom looked to the city's defenders as their only hope of survival. Of this great city, the people said, 'She will withstand the ravages of time, for no enemy can bring her down.'_

_ Over the years, the people's confidence proved to be true. Aspiring conquerors of Aellion were not allowed even the smallest taste of victory because of this city that stood as an impregnable fortress between the sea and this coastal nation. Would-be spies were swiftly caught and imprisoned. Dangerous diseases that threatened to destroy many lives were cured by the city's skillful healers. No matter how much physical damage was incurred from natural disasters, they could not overcome the people's indomitable spirit._

_ All of this changed in the 22__nd__ year of King Yirell's reign. The unusually heavy snowfall that winter had discouraged the people from attempting to travel, thus many had been eagerly anticipating their sojourn in the city upon spring's arrival. But the city was deserted! The gleaming stone streets were desolate and all the buildings were uninhabited. 'What happened here?' the travelers whispered uneasily to each other. 'Where are the people of this city?'_

_ So the bewildered travelers decided to search for answers in the nearby villages. One village spoke of a weary group of dancers that had stayed among them for a short time. Another village recalled several bards passing through and people at the nearby trading post told them of some traders from that city who had asked them for shelter for one night before moving on. A few travelers who had been caught in the harsh winter and ended up staying in a town some distance away remembered a ragtag group of soldiers buying provisions before braving the cold wilderness. Other towns and villages had similar stories, and no one seemed to know where they had been headed. However, one old man quietly approached them and said, 'I heard that you are seeking information on what happened to the people of the city. I can tell you that they have become wanderers and are no longer a people because the great city is a city no more!'_

_ This statement only mystified the travelers even more, but no amount of questions could get the strange man to say more. In the end, the travelers were forced to give up on their quest for information and instead returned to their homes with the elderly man's words. As news of the great city's downfall spread like wildfire throughout the land, the Acniri people trembled with fear of the unknown destroyer who had somehow brought down their shining beacon. Many venturous souls journeyed to what had been the great city in order to discover its fate, but all of them returned without answers. The fate of the city remained an unspoken mystery within the minds of the people as they resumed their normal lives. And then, the passage of many years gradually erased all memories of the once great city until all that remained of its presence was the desolate streets and buildings with their distant echoes of the life that once existed."_

Once the gray-haired man spoke those last words, the young boy sitting on the ground across from him simply stared wide-eyed at him in shock. "But how is that possible, Grandpa? All those people couldn't have disappeared into thin air! That isn't possible, even I know that!"

The grandfather concealed a sad smile even as he lightly laughed at the boy. Before his grandson could protest his indignation, the elderly man gently responded, "Kaisane, I never said that the people 'disappeared into thin air.' I said that they became wanderers."

"Wanderers?" Kaisane tilted his head, clearly puzzled.

"Yes," his grandfather patiently explained, "they became travelers without a home."

"But the city was their home. Why couldn't they go back? It wasn't like the city had been destroyed."

The elderly man hesitated for a long moment as if deciding whether to say something or not, seemingly unaware of his grandson's impatient stare. Finally, he slowly said, "Well, you see, it was not because the city had been destroyed that they had lost their home."

"That's what I just said, Grandpa!" the boy cried out in exasperation.

"Patience, Kaisane," the elderly man absentmindedly admonished. "You see, it was because they had rejected the city as their home that they no longer had a home." Seeing that his grandson was about to interrupt again, he posed a question to him. "Do you know what made the city so great?" Kaisane shook his head. "The city was able to endure so much because her people were united as individuals. They each had their unique gifts and ways of looking at the world around them that they used for the good of their city and country. The people understood that their abilities and personalities were granted to them by their Lord, who had created each and every one of them in that unique manner. Thus, none of them took their abilities for granted or saw themselves as being better than their neighbors."

The young boy was unusually somber as he asked, "So then what could have happened if they were like that?"

"They forgot who had gifted them with their talents and as a result, they slowly lost sight of what was truly important. They ultimately came to see their abilities as their rightfully deserved due and their different perceptions of the world became, in their eyes, the final say in every decision. It was no longer about helping others or doing what was right in the Lord's sight; it was about doing what was right in their own eyes and serving their own selfish desires. The people of the once great city became deeply fragmented. The elders condemned the passion of the youth, while the youth criticized the _elder__s_ for their restraint. Those of different trades quarreled over topics such as who was more important or whose job was more useful. As the divisions only worsened, they gave up on their fellow citizens and abandoned the city in disgust, still convinced in their own minds that their way was right."

The elderly man fell silent as he gazed upon the majestic mountain range in the distance. His grandson was about to speak when he noticed the haunting sorrow that quietly lurked in the elder's dark brown eyes. Whatever the young boy had been about to say remained unspoken as he quietly walked up to his grandfather and threw his arms around him in an awkward yet heartfelt hug. The grandfather seemed startled at first, but then returned the embrace gratefully. He whispered in a barely audible voice, "Thank you. Thank you, Kaisane." Not letting go of his grandfather, the boy looked up, clearly wondering what he was being thanked for, but the elderly man did not answer the silent question. Instead, he stared into his grandson's lighter brown eyes and urgently began, "Just, please . . ." and then hesitated before speaking again. "Just, please, remember this story. Don't forget it and don't let it be forgotten. Tell others what I have just told you. Do this for your grandpa, okay?"

Puzzled at his grandfather's strange desperation, Kaisane nonetheless solemnly promised, "Okay, I'll remember. I won't forget and I'll tell others that story. You don't need to worry, Grandpa, I'll remember. Plus, you can still tell others, so there'll be two people now telling your story and even more people will hear it, right?" The grandfather could not help but to respond to his grandson's brilliant smile with a warm smile of his own and reached out to ruffle his grandson's dark brown hair. "Hey!" the young boy protested, pulling indignantly away from him. The old man simply laughed at his reaction as he smiled contentedly. _This might not be a city, _he thought to himself, _but this wanderer has found a home again._

**Author's Note:** Thanks for taking the time to read my story. Constructive criticism and comments are welcome, so please review!


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